KUALA LUMPUR – The low turnout of delegates in PKR’s recent party elections could reflect a form of protest by some members who are sceptical about the integrity of the election process, said a party insider.
According to the source, open criticism from former deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli during his campaign – particularly questioning the credibility of the party’s election committee – may have influenced his supporters’ stance.
“Throughout Rafizi’s campaign, we saw criticism of the election process. So it’s not surprising if some of his supporters decided not to vote.
“They may have felt that whether they voted or not, Rafizi was bound to lose,” the source told Scoop.
The source added that a sense of disillusionment may have discouraged delegates from casting their ballots.
“There’s a prevailing attitude of ‘my vote won’t change anything’, which led many to stay away despite being eligible,” the source said.
Empathy and confusion among delegates
The source also noted that the good relationship between both candidates – Rafizi and Nurul Izzah Anwar – contributed to the dilemma faced by delegates.
“Both are well-liked figures who once served on the same team during Datuk Seri Azmin Ali’s tenure as deputy president. This contest created confusion and awkwardness when it came to picking a side,” the source said.
They suggested that many delegates may have still turned up to vote for other posts such as vice-presidents and central leadership council (MPP) positions, but deliberately abstained from voting for the deputy president’s race.
Post-election healing phase
Commenting on the post-election atmosphere, the source described it as a typical phase that would naturally be accompanied by dissatisfaction among supporters and grassroots members.
“There will always be some anger and unease after party polls. We’ve experienced this before. The healing process will take some time,” they said.
The source added that the onus is now on Nurul Izzah, as the new deputy president, to bridge the divide within the party.
“Her task now is to go down to the grassroots and build confidence that the current leadership is capable of moving the party forward,” they added.
PKR secretary-general Dr Fuziah Salleh declined to comment further on the matter.
“This has already been addressed by the election committee chair, Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa,” she said.
Earlier, Zaliha stated that the 57% voter turnout was still reasonable for an internal party election, particularly as the polls were held on a weekday.
She also denied any boycott by delegates or the presence of “invisible hands” during last Friday’s voting process.
For the 2025-2028 term, Nurul Izzah secured 9,803 votes, while incumbent Rafizi received 3,866.
Of the 22,081 eligible delegates, only 13,669 votes were cast for the deputy presidency, indicating that over 8,000 delegates abstained. – May 27, 2025